The present invention relates to water level monitors and, more particularly, relates to leak detection in water reservoirs of standard tank-type toilets.
Eliminating the wasteful use of water is a desirable goal for home owners as well as most business establishments such as apartments and hotels. Leaky toilets are a major source of wasted water. Without periodic maintenance on toilets, a leak is sure to occur because of the intermittent flow of water through the toilet as well as the storage of water in the toilet.
Typical toilets include a tank or reservoir for storing water for use when flushing. The reservoir of a toilet has a large hole in its bottom which permits the water to flow from the reservoir and down into the toilet bowl. A large rubber seal, commonly referred to as a flapper, is seated in the hole in the bottom of the reservoir which is lifted when water is to be drained from the reservoir and into the toilet bowl. When the water in the reservoir is evacuated from the reservoir, an inlet valve permits water back into the toilet to refill the reservoir.
Also, within the reservoir is an overflow pipe. The water flowing into the reservoir through the inlet valve to refill the reservoir passes through a refill tube assembly extending from the inlet valve and over to the overflow pipe. In a common embodiment, a float moves up and down along the length of the body of the inlet valve as the water level rises and descends, respectively. The float descends when the toilet is flushed and water goes into the toilet bowl. The float rises when the reservoir is being refilled and, when the float reaches a preset refill level, the influx of water into the reservoir through the inlet valve is shut off.
A large number of the leaks occur at the juncture between the hole in the bottom of the reservoir and the flapper when the flapper is not properly seated in the opening. Often the flapper no longer fits the opening in the reservoir or the flapper is stuck in the open position. Over a period of time, such leaks could result in a substantial expense.
Moreover, a large number of leaks go undetected because water is not leaked onto the floor where it can be seen. For example, water may be wasted as a result of a slow leak between the flapper and the reservoir allowing water to flow down the drain. If the flapper is stuck in the open position, a large amount of water is allowed to flow continuously from the reservoir, into the toilet bowl and down the drain. Also, when the inlet valve to the reservoir has a leak, water is continually let into the reservoir which fills the reservoir and causes water to prematurely fill the overflow pipe. Again, the water then flows into the bowl and eventually down the drain. In each of these examples, the leak likely will not be detected and large amounts of water will be wasted.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved leak detection and reporting system for detecting leaks not visible to the eye. The new leak detection and reporting system must also accurately identify the type of leak.
The present invention solves the above-identified problems by providing an improved leak detection and reporting system. The present invention monitors the time it takes to refill a reservoir to ascertain whether a leak exists as well as the type of leak. Different alarms are activated in response to different types of leaks.
Generally described, the present invention includes a timing module and a water flow sensor. The timing module has a calibration mode for measuring a standard fill time required to properly fill a reservoir of a toilet. A lower time threshold and an upper time threshold are calculated based upon the standard fill time. Different alarms may be activated based upon the duration of the leak. For example, a first alarm may be activated if a subsequent fill time is below the lower time threshold to identify a small leak. Also, a second alarm may be activated if a subsequent fill time is above the upper time threshold to identify a larger leak.
According to one aspect of the invention, the water flow sensor includes an elongated tube for receiving water. The tube has an opening which extends from one end to the other. The water flow sensor includes a pair of metal contacts which permits the measuring of the resistance of the water flow between the contacts as the water flow passes through the water flow sensor. The pair of elongated contacts extend across the opening in the tube in substantially a diagonal manner. In one embodiment, the elongated contacts extend outwardly from one of the ends of the tube to detachably secure the water flow sensor within the overflow pipe.
The foregoing has broadly outlined some of the more pertinent aspects and features of the present invention. These should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Other beneficial results can be obtained by applying the disclosed information in a different manner or by modifying the disclosed embodiments. Accordingly, other aspects and a more comprehensive understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims.